Accreditation Programs: Micro-credentials + HALT

What is HALT National Certification?

Certification is a voluntary process that enables teachers to receive recognition for their highly skilled and exemplary teaching practice. Certification is based on the AITSL Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). These standards provide a framework which clearly defines the knowledge, practice and professional engagement required of teachers by making explicit the elements of high-quality, effective teaching that will improve educational outcomes for students.

Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers has three purposes:

• recognise and promote quality teaching
• provide an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their practice
• provide a reliable indication of quality teaching.

AISWA is the certifying authority responsible for the National Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers (HALT) process for teachers of member schools, in Western Australia.

What are the benefits?

Certification is a highly valuable professional development opportunity, enabling teachers to reflect on and improve their practice in order to improve student outcomes. Other benefits include:

• Feedback on evidence of practice
• Enhanced performance culture
• Shared discourse on effective practice
• Access to networks and communities of practice
• Enhanced collaboration with and support from colleagues within and across schools
• National recognition for effective teaching
• Increased profile of the profession.

Eligibility

 

Aspiring teachers must:

• Be an Australian citizen or have a permanent residency visa
• Have full registration with the teachers Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA)
• Demonstrate all standards within the context of a teaching role
• Have been assessed as satisfactory in their two most recent annual performance assessments (Three for Lead teacher).

 

Process – who is involved?

 

There are four parties involved in the process:

• The school principal  - must approve and support the applicant’s involvement in the process.

• The applicant - must plan, implement and assess a teaching program in the school.

• Three referees - required as part of the certification process. Referees may include colleagues and peers, the principal and or delegate. Those nominated by the applicant are required to provide verification and evaluative statements against specific focus areas of the Standards and must have direct knowledge of the applicant’s practice.

• AISWA trained assessors - external to the school/setting, to assess the certification application following the common national process, focusing on areas of the Standards about which they have direct knowledge of the applicant’s practice

 

Process – what is involved?

 

There are three stages in an application for certification:

• Pre-assessment Stage: applicants determine their eligibility and readiness for certification and conduct a mandatory professional discussion with their principal/supervisor. An online self-assessment tool is available on the AITSL website for teachers to assess their readiness to apply.
• Professional Practice Stage: the focus of this stage is observation. Applicants submit a written statement to contextualise their practice as well as observations undertaken by referees. This is followed by direct assessment of the teacher’s practice onsite by an external assessor to verify up to 15 focus area descriptors. The visit includes observation, discussion with principal/supervisor, discussion with other colleagues as required, and professional discussion with the applicant.
• Portfolio Stage: submission of evidence against the remaining Standards, which includes annotated evidence of the teacher’s practice. This stage also includes a professional discussion with the independent assessor.

 

All of these stages are supported through AISWA-led, face to face professional learning sessions.

 

Highly Accomplished or Lead?

 

Applicants determine their eligibility and readiness for certification at either the Highly Accomplished or Lead teacher level. 

• Highly Accomplished teachers are highly skilled teachers who strive to continually improve their practice and usually have taken on roles that support or guide other teachers. Highly Accomplished teachers are active members of the school community and actively sort out professional discussions to engage in effective teaching practices to improve student outcomes.
• Lead teachers are exemplary practitioners and well respected by colleagues and the wider community. Not only do they support other teachers but take on a lead role often initiating and leading a whole school activity.   They evaluate and monitor the impact on student outcomes and adapt practices accordingly. Lead teachers motivate colleagues to improve their practice. Lead teachers need to be able to demonstrate that they have initiated and lead a whole school activity that is linked to a school or system goals and has improved teacher and/or students outcomes over a six month period or longer. This is known as the Lead Initiative.

 

What does certification cost?

 

A $200 deposit is payable once you commit to the certification process. Two $800 instalments are then due, one at at the Professional Practice Stage, and the final one at the Portfolio stage.

 

What about renewal of certification?

 

National Certification is granted for a five-year period, after which certified teachers must renew their Certification. Information regarding renewal can be found in AISWA’s guide.

 

For further questions, or to register your interest please contact:

 

Meika Pfeiffer-Gough, Manager School Leadership and Teacher Quality

Karen LeRaye, Education Consultant